Andre Johnson emerges in return to Houston

HOUSTON — He wouldn’t say much this week, but that’s not unusual. Andre Johnson is not a verbose man. He speaks softly, never raising his voice, never hinting at his mood. Hear him talk and you’d never be able to tell if he’s just finished with 15 catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns … or if he’d had no catches and dropped three passes.

The Indianapolis Colts’ most expensive offseason addition was the invisible man through four games. He looked old, looked slow, looked like he was never open.

Then he went home to Houston and started playing like Andre Johnson again.

The 34-year-old wide receiver was the sparkplug the Colts desperately sought – and needed – in Thursday night’s 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans, which by no coincidence came on the night Johnson played his first game in NRG Stadium wearing a visiting team’s jersey. He spent 12 years in this city but left in March, the franchise’s all-time greatest player and the victim of a messy divorce from the only NFL team he’s ever known.

In case you forgot, Houston, this guy can still play.

“Probably up there," Johnson said when asked where this ranked among the games he's played at NRG Stadium. "This is the team you played for for 12 seasons and you come back and get a win against them and it’s pretty big.”

He put together a better 60 minutes of football than his four previous games combined, finishing with six catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, not to mention his finest night as a Colt – by far.

The perpetually quiet Johnson needn’t say much Thursday night.

His play did plenty of talking.

“Four weeks – that’s a preseason," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "Everyone knows Andre Johnson can play. The dude’s for real. We knew that. That’s never wavered for us. Again, I think it’s like fantasy football sends people into panic mode. He’s a great player, has been for a long time and still is.”

For the second straight week, it was Veteran’s Day for the Colts. Johnson led the way, but don’t discount the contributions from the 40-year-old Hasselbeck – 18-for-29 for 213 yards and two touchdowns – and 32-year-old running back Frank Gore – 22 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown.

On this night, age was just a number. Those three were the team’s best players on offense.

Throughout his monthlong slump, Johnson has sounded like the 12-year vet he is. He pleaded for patience, saying time and again he knew precisely what he got himself into when he signed with the Colts during free agency. He was a weapon joining an offense loaded with weapons – he wouldn’t be the featured target like he was for more than a decade in Houston. And he was fine with that. He never complained. He kept working, quietly, the way Johnson’s always worked.

But on Thursday night, wearing Colts’ white instead of Texans’ blue, Johnson exploded. If he was trying to prove a point – that he’s not done just yet – consider it proven.

“A lot of people probably thought this was a ‘get back’ game for me or something like that. It was never like that," Johnson said. "I just wanted to use my role. I was involved a lot more today and I was able to go out and make the best of my opportunities. That’s the way I looked at it. I just wanted to do
what I needed to do to help the team win.”

It didn’t hurt that Hasselbeck's throws were on the money, or that the much-maligned offensive line put together its best effort of this young season. But take nothing away from Johnson. He came to play. He made a difference for the first time as a Colt.

“Anytime you’ve been somewhere for 12 seasons and you make a change, it’s challenging,” Johnson conceded this week. “But at the same time it’s an experience and I’m just rolling (with it). I don’t have any regrets on any decisions I’ve made.”

He rolled with it Thursday. By night’s end he’d moved up to sixth on the NFL’s all-time receiving chart, passing Isaac Bruce.

Most important was that Johnson got the win.

The longtime Texan left Houston with 1,012 catches for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns.

Before Thursday, he was the invisible man in Indianapolis. No more. Finally, Andre Johnson arrived as a Colt.

"Everybody knew the start that (No.) 81 had and not one word," coach Chuck Pagano said. "You guys know, you were in the locker room. You can see his personality, see his mannerisms, see his character, and not one time did he ever, and that’s why he’s a hall of famer. He’s a great player. He’s a great human being. He’s a great person. He’s a great teammate."


(indystar.com)